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Earendil's stride lengthened as he picked up the pace. "Would you like me to carry Andarien?" he asked, not certain how comfortable Lin would be with carrying their son if they needed to run. They started up the street in the direction of the reddish-orange blur, and Earendil hoped that they would catch up before the kitsune got too far ahead and ended up lost.

The woman ran just a short way into the forest before she tripped and sprawled out on the ground. She pushed herself slowly to her feet, but, still blinded by tears, found it impossible to go any further. She sat at the base of a tree, put her head in her hands, and cried - not wrenching sobs, not wailing cries, but silent tears.

Earendil took Andarien (who did not seem at all happy at the turn of events) and then reached for Lin's hand.

"Would you be able to keep up if you fly while I run?" he asked her, not wanting to leave her behind but very eager to catch up with Miyuki.

The woman yelped slightly and jumped when Miyuki spoke. She hadn't realized that the child was there, and she had taken her by surprise. Her eyes were red, and she quickly used the handkerchief to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"I ... I'll be all right," she said softly, sniffling a bit. She wiped her nose with the handkerchief. "I'm sorry ... I'm so ... so sorry ..."

Tears began to pool once more in her eyes and threatened to spill over again. She dabbed at her eyes again and turned away from Miyuki, trying to hide the sorrowful expression that was spreading across her face. "You should go back to the others you were with," she said, her voice choked.

The woman shook her head. "N-no, I-I didn't do anything," she admitted. "I-I can't explain ... just ... please. I'll be all right. I'll be fine."

She wiped at her tears again, then turned and looked at Miyuki, her eyes bleary and blood-shot. "I'm sorry," she said again, though this time she sounded as if she were truly apologizing for something. "I-I can't explain, you wouldn't understand ..."


Earendil broke into a full run, and it wasn't long before they were in the trees.

"Well, there's something you don't see every day," came the voice of the young woman who had been in the manuscript shop. She stepped out from behind a tree, eying Lin, Earendil and Andarien. She tilted her head curiously.

Earendil stopped so quickly that Andarien let out a squeal and grabbed his father's tunic tightly. "Are you all right?" he asked her anxiously, so worried that he didn't notice in the least that there was something ever so slightly different about her.

At Miyuki's comment, the woman blushed and lowered her eyes. "Don't worry about me because I fell," she murmured. "I tend to be clumsy whe- I tend to be clumsy. I fall often. It doesn't hurt."

She patted her cheeks with the handkerchief again, but she had stopped crying now, distracted by Miyuki.


The young woman at the edge of the forest tilted her head at Lin. "The girl that was with you, the one who is like a fox?" she asked. She pointed into the forest - the opposite direction that Miyuki actually was, not that Lin and Earendil would know it. "Just a little ways in there. She just ran right past me."

That part was honest enough, at least, since the woman had been behind a tree when Miyuki had dashed past her, chasing the crying woman.

The woman seemed surprised by Miyuki's statement, as if it were the first time she had heard it. And in all fairness, it probably was: the Light Elves were a proud and haughty people, and if they deemed someone worthy of sneering at, very few would go out of their way to comfort that person.

"You are sweet," she murmured, a sad smile spreading over her face, "but the hurt ... isn't something that I can explain. It's not what you would expect."

She sniffled once more, then sighed heavily, as if a heavy burden were on her shoulders.


The woman with Lin and Earendil nodded her head and twirled a lock of golden hair around her index finger. "I ... suppose she must have missed me when I ran into the trees," she murmured, lowering her gaze and looking at the ground. "But she just passed a moment ago, if you go quickly you should be able to catch up with her fairly easily!"

The woman blinked at Miyuki, silent and thoughtful as she took in what the kitsune had said. Suddenly her expression became curious, and she looked more closely at Miyuki.

"Of course," she murmured softly. "Yes ... you would not be exempt from their pride, either. It is difficult to be different." Surprising, considering that at least on the outside, she was no different from any other Light Elf.

She smiled and held one hand out to Miyuki. "My name is Iorlas."


Earendil looked anxiously at Lin. Something seemed to be bothering her, and he wasn't sure what it was ... something more than just the fact that Miyuki had run off. Still, he was the one holding Andarien, and Andarien was starting to whimper a bit, and he also wanted to make sure the young woman was all right. To be honest, she seemed fine, though. Still, she was the reason they'd left the shop behind.

"I'll stay with her for a few minutes and then catch up," he nodded at Lin finally. "Find her quickly."

Iorlas smiled and shook Miyuki's hand as well. "I'm glad to meet you, Miyuki," she said softly. "And thank you. For coming after me, I mean. I know I can't give you all the answers that you're looking for, but ... it makes me happy to know there are some people who are willing to help out a stranger."


Earendil wanted to talk a bit more with the woman, but Andarien was crying now and calling out for "Mi", and he had his hands full with trying to take care of him. He recalled his mother once telling him that children - especially babies - could sense their parents' emotions, and he had a feeling that Andarien wouldn't calm down until Lin and Miyuki were back safely.

He also felt a bit uneasy. He didn't know the area, and he knew that if anyone ended up lost, he would have to go find someone else to help him look for them. He simply didn't trust himself to do it on his own.

"Tell you what," the woman suggested. "I'll look in this direction, just in case." She motioned towards the direction that Miyuki and Iorlas had really gone.

Earendil nodded, grateful that the woman (there was still something off about her, he couldn't help but feel, though he didn't know what it was) was willing to help them out. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "I'll wait here then for word, either way."

The woman nodded and turned and headed into the forest, and just before she disappeared into the trees, Earendil had the strangest feeling that he saw a strange sort of grin on her face.

Iorlas laughed softly. She didn't mean to, and it wasn't that Miyuki had said anything funny, it was just such an unexpected and innocent comment was all.

"You have indeed been fortunate in your acquaintances," she told Miyuki warmly. "And you must have very loving parents. The world would be a wonderful place if everyone was like you and your parents ... but sadly, much of it is not. Perhaps someday I will see these other places that you spoke of ... but for now, they can be only in my imagination."

Earendil waited ... and waited and waited, but he was quite impatient. Probably because he was worried. He wanted to know what was going on, and where people were! Unfortunately, since people were out looking in two directions, he couldn't go and look for either of them. he was literally stuck where he was until someone came back to him.